"SO, where are we going?" Suho asked, just as the cameraman assigned to them arrived and started filming.

Eunwoo unfolded the paper he was holding. The rest of the team huddled closer to get a look at the map. But when they all saw what was on it, no one said a word for a moment. Everyone just stared.

Jeju Port → Dongmun Market → (___) → (___) → Star

At the bottom, in smaller print, was a note: Find the next destination at the market. Below that was a short verse:

Go to the oldest shop in the market’s heart,

Where mugwort and red beans are a work of art.

If you come in the afternoon, you’ve come too late,

For these legendary rice cakes won’t wait.

Was this even a map? Jeju Port to Dongmun Market, then two blank spots, then a star. No roads, no directions, no landmarks. Just a strange verse about rice cakes. How could they call this a map?

"So we have to find something at Dongmun Market?" Suho asked, looking confused.

Eunwoo studied the verse for a moment. "It’s a riddle," he said. "I think it’s pointing us to the oldest shop in the market that sells mugwort and red bean rice cakes. There’s probably one shop that’s been around longer than the others. We find that shop, and maybe that’s where we’ll get our next clue."

Quick thinking, Haneul thought. It was a solid conclusion. Before Jeon Hyunsik could jump in with some kind of rebuttal just to make himself look like the smartest person in the group, Haneul spoke up. "Let’s do that."

But, sure enough, Jeon Hyunsik still found something to question. "What if there’s more than one old shop selling the same thing? Wouldn’t we just be wandering around asking every rice cake place if they’re the oldest?"

Was that really something worth making a fuss over? What did he expect them to do instead? It wasn’t like there was a faster or better way to figure this out. Haneul thought to himself, holding back the urge to roll his eyes.

He sighed inwardly. It seemed that this guy just naturally brought out his rude side. If he could just say what he’s thinking out loud, that would be better.

Eunwoo smiled calmly. "Then we’ll ask the locals. I’m sure someone will know which shop has been there the longest. We won’t waste time at all."

Jeon Hyunsik put on an expression like he understood and gave a small nod. Haneul bit the inside of his cheek. Seriously, this guy and Park Mirae would make a perfect pair. Their acting was on the same level.

"Then, shall we go?" Eunwoo asked.

This time, everyone nodded.

The production team had assigned a vehicle to each group, so they all had to head down to where the vehicles were parked. As they moved, Haneul glanced around and quickly spotted the person he was looking for. His eyes met Taeyang’s gray ones, as if the other had been staring in his direction for a while now.

And he was. Ever since Taeyang had walked onto the deck with his own team, he’d been looking for Haneul. It wasn’t hard, now that only forty of them were left. He’d kept an eye on Haneul’s group, especially on Jeon Hyunsik.

When the PD had first explained the activity, Taeyang had wanted to growl and tell him to choose something else. Anything that didn’t force Haneul to spend the whole day with Jeon Hyunsik. But he knew he couldn’t. So he’d been trying to think of ways to keep an eye on Haneul. But with how the activity was set up, the groups couldn’t stick together. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Seeing that Haneul’s group was about to head off the ship, Taeyang told his own team it was time for them to go down too. Then he walked over to Haneul’s side and leaned in slightly.

"Stay close to Baek Eunwoo the whole time," he whispered.

Haneul was caught off guard by Taeyang’s sudden whisper. He glanced up and nearly brushed his nose against Taeyang’s face, since the other had leaned down close. They both flinched. He noticed the pink tint spreading across Taeyang’s cheeks. For a second, Haneul felt the urge to pinch them. But there was a camera right in front of them. Taeyang must have realized it too, because they both stepped back at the same time.

Haneul cleared his throat to draw Taeyang’s attention. Then he gave a small nod and offered a reassuring smile, letting the other know he understood and would follow his advice.

Taeyang tried to steady his still racing heart. He looked at Haneul, who was clearly trying to reassure him. But the worry wouldn’t go away. There wasn’t much he could do about it, though. He let out a frustrated sigh. For now, he would have to settle for the next best thing.

He moved to walk beside Eunwoo instead. Eunwoo gave him a quick glance. Taeyang flicked his eyes toward Jeon Hyunsik, then toward Haneul, then back at Eunwoo. He hoped the other would understand what he was trying to say.

Eunwoo raised an eyebrow, then let out a small chuckle before giving a quick nod. Of course he understood. Having been aware of the situation, it wasn’t hard to figure out what Taeyang was getting at. He wanted Eunwoo to make sure Jeon Hyunsik didn’t try anything with Haneul.

Which was a bit surprising, if he was being honest. He’d known Taeyang was interested in Haneul, but he hadn’t expected him to be this protective. It seemed Taeyang was genuinely serious about him. Eunwoo wondered how that would play out if the two of them ended up debuting together. That was certainly an interesting thought.

Taeyang gave Eunwoo a small nod of thanks. Then he turned back to Haneul. "I’ll head to my group now."

Haneul smiled and nodded. He watched as Taeyang walked back to his group, his broad back cutting a steady path through the crowd. Something warm swelled in Haneul’s chest. It wasn’t just gratitude, though that was there too. It was a quiet, comfortable feeling of being looked after.

And it actually felt kind of... nice.